Mechanical starter



T. c.-cHR|sT|E ANDE. A. EDMoN.

MECHANICAL STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUIY 24| 1917.

l QW l E11/@9% A TT ORNE Y tirar TAT 'nien THOMAS c. CHRISTIE, orLEBANON, AND Emana A. EDMON, or DAYTON, oIIIKo.`

MECHANICAL STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1917. Serial No. 182,559.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, THOMAS C. CHRISTIE and ELMEP. A. EDMON, citizens ofthe United States, residing, respectively, at Lebanon and Dayton, in thecounties of Narren and `Montgomery and State of Ohio, have inventeccertain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Starters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Gui' invention relates to starting or cranking devices for explosiveengines, commonly known as self starters when applied to motor vehiclesfor which purpose the present device is particularly adapted.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as themeans and mode of operation of such devices, whereby they will not onlybe cheapened in construction, but will be more efficient in use,positive in action, reliable in operation, easily manipulated andunlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary device capableof being easily and quickly installed upon existing automobiles or toother explosive engines, without materially changing or modifying any ofthe existing parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which willimpart to the crank shaft of the motor a quick initial movement withminimum eiit'ort of the op erator.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means fordisconnecting the actuating member from the motor shaft at the limit ofits stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will bemounted wholly upon the enginel shaft thereby obviating necessity ofaccurate alinement of the operative parts at the installation of thedevice and avoiding the possible disarrangement of interconnecting partsafter a period of use.

Nith the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will morefully appear in the specification, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and themode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and setforth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings in which one of severalpossible embodiments ofthe invention has been disclosed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of a motor vehicle to the motor of which the starting deviceforming the subject hereof has been applied. Fig. 2 is a frontlelevation of the starting device removed from the motor. Fig. 3 is adetail view of the reverse side of a portion of the parts shown in Fig.2. Fig. 4 'is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembled startingapparatus.

Like parts are indicated by similar lchar-` Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

acters of reference throughout the several views.

In the drawings, the vehicle has been illustrated by dotted lines in Fig, l, in which l is the body of the vehicle, 2 the hood, 3 theradiator, and 4C the chassis frame bars. These portions of the vehiclehave been illustrated as broken away to disclose within the startingapparatus forming the subject matter hereof. This starting apparatus isoperated entirely independent of the usual starting crank or handle 5which, however, is left mounted in its usual bearing 6 in an operableposition ready for use in any emergency.

lThe starting apparatus comprises a unitary structure mounted directlyupon the crank shaft 8 of the motor or engine. It has not been unusualheretofore in such apparatus to mount the driving or actuating member ofthe mechanism rupon'the-shaftof the handle or crank 5 and the drivenmein- 4ber upon the engine shaft 8. However in such constructions moreor less difficulty has heretofore been experienced through the tendencyof said parts to be thrown out of alinement after an extended period ofuse and also in the initial installation of the apparatus diiiiculty isexperienced in properly alining the parts for instant and positiveengagement. in the present instance by mounting the apparatus entirelyupon the engine shaft and independent of the starting crank 5. Moreoverthe embodiment of the apparatus ina unitary structure enables it to befully and completely assembled before leaving the fac- Y Suchdificu-lties are overcome iin tor crank shaft 8 and on its outer face aprojecting screw threaded trunnion stud 12. This substitute fan pulley10 is rigidly secured upon the shaft 8 by any suitable means as forinstance by a transverse pin 13 passing through said parts. Looselymounted for revoluble movement upon the trunnion stud 12 is a segmentalsprocket gear 14 having a projecting hub or pulley flange 15. Thissegmental sprocket member is retained upon the trunnion stud 12 by theclutch head 16 screw threaded thereon. This clutch head 16 iscomplementary to the manual starting crank 5. The purpose of the clutchhead 16 is to enable the motor to be started by manual effort throughthe instrumentality of the starting crank 5 in the event that it isdesired to do so. Aside from this, the member 16 as a clutch element hasno function. A retaining nut or collar might be substituted therefor toretain the segmental gear 14 upon the trunnion stud 12 Withoutinterfering with the operation of the mechanism. Secured to the hub orpulley flange 15 and passing partially therearound is a flexibleconnection preferably a chain 17 but Which may be a cable or a strap,which at its outer end is connected to a retractile spring 18 one end ofwhich is attached to the frame of the vehicle. The flexible connection17 under the retractory infiuence of the spring 18 tends to rotate thesegmental sprocket 14 to its initial or starting position or toward theleft in Figs. 1 and 2. FiXedly connected to the segmental sprocket 14 atone end and engaging the succession of teeth of said sprocket member isa sprocket chain 19 Which passes about the larger pulley of a steppedpulley 2O mounted upon the chassis frame 4. After being passed aroundsaid pulley member, the end of the chain 19 is fixedly secured thereto.l

Attached to and passing around the smaller head of the double or steppedsheave or pulley 20, is a flexible cable 21 passing over an idler pulley22 also mounted upon the chassis frame 4 and connected at its rear endto the quadrant 28 of a foot pedal or operating lever 24. This footpedal or lever 24 is mounted upon a suitable bracket 25 secured to thechassis frame 4 and is capable of a fore and aft operation. The rapidityof movement is multiplied by the double or stepped sheave or pulley 20thereby transmitting` to the segmental sprocket 14 a quick, sharpmovement which has been found most effective in starting such a motor.This movement of the segmental sprocket 14 is effected against thetension of the retracting spring 18. During this movement of thesprocket 14 under the influence of the actuating lever 24 the chain 19is unvvound from the periphery of the sprocket While the chain 17 isWound about the hub or pulley flange 15. Upon the release of theactu-ating lever 24 the retracting spring 18 by the pull eX- erted uponthe chain 17 reverses the movement of the segmental sprocket 14 therebyunwinding the chain 17 from the hub or flange 15 and simultaneouslyrevvinding the chain 19 upon the periphery of said sprocket. The spring18 thus returns the segmental sprocket 14 to normal or starting positionafter each operation.

To transmit the oscillatory movement of the segmental sprocket 14 to themotor shaft 8 there is rigidly attached to the fan pulley 10intermediate the face of said pulley and the sprocket 14 a ratchet Wheel26. Pivoted to the inner side of the segmental sprocket 14 in a positionto engage the ratchet Wheel 26 is a pavvl 27 pivoted at 28. This pavvl27 is substantially U-shape in form and in the bight of said U-shapedpaWl is engaged ,one end of a releasing lever 29 pivoted at 30. Therelease arm 29 and the actuating paivl 27 operate under the influence ofa common spring 31 Which tends to move the pavvl 27 into engagement withthe teeth of the ratchet 26. The outer or free end of the release arm 29carries a laterally eX- tendng stud or finger 32 which projects beneaththe chain 19. As the segmental sprocket 14 approaches the limit of itsstroke under the influence of the retracting spring 18 the finger orstud 32 of the release arm 29 is brought into engagement With the underside of the chain 19 and as the sprocket 14 continues to move, carryingWith it the paWl 27 and release arm 29, the release arm is oscillated,thereby in turn oscillating the pavvl 27 against the tension of thespring 31 to disengage the pavvl from the ratchet wheel 26. Tt' will beunderstood that the paths of the chain 19 and the finger 32 of therelease arm intersect in such Way that the chain forms a stop for andlimits the concentric movement of the stud or linger 32 before thesprocket 14 has reached the limit of its movement. The further movementof the sprocket tends to drag the pin or finger 32 along the under sideof the chain, the differential movement being sufficient to rock thepavv'l 27 out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel 26.

The paWl 27 is so held out of engagement so long as the segmentalsprocket 14 remains at rest. However, upon the initial operation of 'theapparatus, the sprocket 14 will move independent of the ratchet Wheeland motor shaft 8 until the releasing arm 29 has passed beyond the Zoneof influence of the chain 19. When the segmental sprocket has initiallyrotated sufficiently to disengage the free end of the release arm fromthe chain, the spring 31 will cause the pawl 27 to engage with theratchet Wheel 26, causing the ratchet Wheel, together with the fanpulley and motor shaft to thereafter 14. This initial freedom ofmovement facilitates the operation of the device by overcoming theinertia of the parts before picking up the motor shaft. The result isthat the motor shaft is given a more violent or sudden rotation which isfound to be the movement most effective in starting the motor.

At the forward limit of its oscillating movement the tail 33 of theactuating pawl 27 may be brought into engagement with the edge of themotor dust pan or with a suitable stop 34: mounted upon the chassisframe which by arresting the protruding end of the pawl 27 while thesegmental sprocket 14 continues to move, will effect the disengagementof said pawl from the ratchet wheel 26. However, such stop is notessential. If the charge in the motor cylinder has been ignited and themotor has properly picked up speed, the rotation of the ratchet wheel 26beneath the pawl will be an idle movement and will merely cause achattering of the pawl until the parts have been restored to normalposition under the influence of the retracting spring 18 upon therelease of the actuating lever 24.

vWhile the member la has been herein referred to and is shown in thedrawings, as a segmental sprocket, and the flexible connection 19 isshown and described as a sprocket chain, it will be understood that themember 14 may be a grooved pulley and the connection 19 may be aflexible cable, or other mechanically equivalent parts may besubstituted for these and other elements of the construction.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviouslyis susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detailconstruction or arrangement of parts, without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statutes, the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to certain structuralfeatures, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toany specific details, but that the means and construction hereindescribed comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect,and the invention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possibleforms or modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a starting devicefor explosive engines, the combination with the shaft to be rotated of aratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, an actuating member mountedcoaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the actuating memberand adapted to be intermittently eng-aged with the ratchet Wheel to turnthe same in unison with the actuator, a reciprocatory operating link forthe actuator, and an operating arm for the pawl moving in a pathintersecting that of the operating link as the actuator approaches thelimit of its retrograde or idle stroke whereby the interengagement ofthe link and arm will disengage the pawl from the ratchet Wheel.

2. In starting device for explosive engines, the `combination with thevshaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, anactuating member mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawlcarried by the actuating member and adapted to be intermittently engaged`with the ratchet wheel to turn the same in unison with the actuator,operating means for the actuator, an operating arm pivoted upon theactuator independent of the said pawland having operative engagementwith said pawl, said operating means for the actuator being ada ted uponthe retrograde movement of t e yactuator to operate said arm to effectthe disengagement of the pawl.

3. In a starting device for explosive engines, the combination with theshaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel mounted upon the shaft, anactuating member mounted coaxially with the ratchet wheel, a pawl car#ried Iby the actu-ating member adapted tov engage the ratchet wheel toturn the same in unison with the actuator, operating means for theactuator, and pawl disengaging means, said actuator operating means andpawl disengaging means being relatively movable in intersecting paths oftravel, whereby said operating means and disengaging means willinterengage during the retrograde movement of the actuator, to effectthe disengagement of the pawl from the ratchet wheel.

4:. In a starting device for an explosive engine, the combination withthe shaft to be rotated of a ratchet wheel iixedly mounted upon theshaft, an actuating segment loosely mounted coaxially with the ratchetwheel, a flexible actuating cable engaging the periphery of the segment,a hub upon said segment, va flexible retracting cable engaging theperiphery of said hub and hence operating through a radius less thanthat of the actuating cable, an actuating pawl carried by the segment, afixed stop engaged by the pawl at the limit of the actuating stroke ofthe segment under the influence of the actuating cable to disengage thepawl from the ratchet wheel, and an operating arm for said pawl broughtinto engagement With the actuating cable upon the retrograde movement ofthe segment under the influence of the retracting cable to eHect thedisengagement o1" the pawl at the limit of the return stroke of thesegment.

In a starter for internal combustion motors, a pulley secured to thecrank shaft of said motor, a ratchet secured to the said pulley, asprocket rotatably mounted upon said pulley and `adjacent to saidratchet, a pawl carried by said sprocket and in aline ment with saidratchet, and arranged to engage the teeth or' said ratchet, a chainengaging said sprocket and means for operating said chain to rotate thesprocket in the direction to start 'the motor, a pivoted lever carriedby the sprocket having one end engaging the said paWl,-a pin securedthrough the opposite end of said lever, the said pin being designed toengage the said chain to hold the pawl from engagement' With the ratchetuntil said chain is moved to rotate the sprocket to start the motor.

6. ln a starter for internal combustion motors of that characterembodying a ratchet operatively connected With the crank shaft of themotor, an oscillatory pawl carrier loosely mounted adjacent to theratchet, a pavvl `carried thereby and arranged to engage the teeth ofthe ratchet and an operating element for the paWl carrier, characterizedby a. pivoted lever mounted on the paivl carrier one end of Whichengages the pawl, the other end being extended into position to engageWith the operat ing element for the paWl carrier to hold the pawl fromengagement. with the ratchet un til the pawl carrier is initiallyoscillated in the direction to start the motor.

7. In a starter for internal combustion motors, a pulley secured to thecrank shaft ot said motor, a. ratchet secured to the said pulley, asprocket rotatably mounted upon said pulley and adjacent said ratchet, apawl carried by said sprocket and in alinement with said ratchet andarranged to engage the teeth of said ratchet, a chain engaging saidsprocket and means for operating said chain to rotate the sprocket inthe direction to start the motor, a pivoted lever carried by saidsprocket having one end engaging said pawl, pin secured through theopposite end of said lever the said pin being designed to engage thesaid chain to hold the pa il trom engagement with the ratchet until saidchain is moved to rotate the sprocket to start the motor.

ln testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 19th and 21stdays of July, A. D. 1917.

THOMAS C. CHRSTIE. ELMER A. EDMON. litnesses to signature oit Thomas C.Christie:

ALFRED MGCRAY, MARVEL HOAGLAND. Witnesses to signature of Elmer A.Edmon:

E. E. DUNCAN, GLADYS SPRAIN.

